The Little Mermaid
by Cristinne
Summary: "Freedom...a luxury not all of us can have." a messed up version of the original fairy tale "the Little Mermaid". Content better than it sounds.
1. Mermaid POV

_Total freedom… the freedom to choose, to laugh, to love, to live…_

_Such freedom doesn't exist._

I would know. Born into the confines of a "convent" where the fortress walls cut us off from the world, forced to follow blindly, forced to learn things you wouldn't dream of, trained in the very things mankind shuns and aims to stamp out…

I didn't know it then. I had no choice.

_The freedom to choose_

The first time I saw the outside world, my instructions were clear; dispose of this man, apply what you've learned on that powerful person. One would protest at the injustice of committing a sin for reasons not my own, for a problem I care not about. But that was our life; we were taught in the art of war. For that was us; we knew not how to smile. We were taught to wipe them away.

_The freedom to laugh_

He was a carefree college student with a bright future. I was a grim and serious assassin set to e one for life. He had friends. I had associates. He loved making people laugh. I took laughter away. He was the president's son; I knew not my parents. I was a killer – he was my target.

I was not supposed to fall for him.

_The freedom to love_

My instructions were clear – get close to him, get him to trust you, get the information and kill. A few months was all it took to show me human kindness, something I had not known for the whole 19 years of my life.

Emotions are dangerous. One look, one smile at me before I shot caused my heart to leap and my aim to miss; the bullet struck the wall. Dropping to my knees, I realized that with learning to love, I had become human, something that was forbidden to us. Chased away from my "home" for that blunder, hunted by the people for that crime… I have no one to turn to but myself.

_The freedom to live._


	2. Prince POV

_Freedom is a relative thing… I live, I laugh, I love. But total freedom – the freedom to cry, to speak my mind, to choose, to break down…_

_such freedom doesn't exist._

I would know. Born into the confines of the glamorous life of world leaders and politicians where one has to keep a strong and smiling front, forced to hide what one truly feels, forced to keep smiling at the cameras though reporters aim trick question after trick question, waiting for you to trip up…

I was nothing but a smiling dummy. I had no right to falter.

_The freedom to cry_

At twelve, I was asked about my stand on a controversial topic and I gave an answer that went against my father's. that evening was met with a slap on the face and an order not to say anything without knowing what father would have answered. Not only was my smile bound – my tongue was as well.

_The freedom to speak my mind_

She was a transferee; I had been here for a year. She was quiet and withdrawn; I was cheerful and an extrovert. She said she enrolled because she wanted to; I enrolled because my father said so. She was simply another girl with no riches, no fame, no money; I was the new president's son. I was like the prince; she was the masses.

I was not supposed to fall for a girl like her.

_The freedom to choose_

I already had someone assigned for my marriage; the daughter of my father's close friend, a computer mogul. Despite that, a few months was all it took to give me a taste of freedom, of real belonging; with the transferee, I could be as corny as I wanted, I could speak my mind and nobody would judge, something I had not known for the full 19 years of my life.

One glance, one smile at her and I saw a flash of pain in her eyes. A gun was raised, but all I could see was the blank mask her face had settled into, not quite concealing the pain there. Her eyes closed; the shot missed; I stared in shock. She dropped to her knees and it was only then that I realized that this betrayal hurt much more than it should; I had come to love her. My world came crashing down that night and I wanted to do the forbidden – I wanted to cry. But I had to keep my calm exterior. I had no one to turn to but myself.

_The freedom to break down and live the way I want to._


End file.
